Beer

Great North Aleworks quality assurance lead John Cataldo speaks with IBG brewer Aaron Crossett at Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket, RI.

Manchester, NH • July 5, 2017—Great North Aleworks is pleased to announce a partnership with Isle Brewers Guild (IBG) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island to help expand their production capabilities. IBG is designed as a partner brewery, where Great North can brew its beers under the care and supervision of its own staff. Other IBG partner breweries include Narragansett Brewing Co. and Newburyport Brewing Co.

Starting in July, Great North will be brewing its award winning flagship Great North IPA at IBG under the careful watch of owner and head brewer Rob North, as well as quality control and assurance manager John Cataldo.

Every detail has been thoroughly reviewed to insure that Great North IPA tastes the same whether it is brewed in Manchester or Pawtucket. From the water chemistry, to the dry-hop technique, the beer will be the same.

The reason for this partnership is to allow Great North the ability to keep up with the demand for Great North IPA, as well as meet the growing demand of other beers such as Tie Dyed dry-hopped pale ale.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have found a partner like IBG with a state-of-the-art facility, an all-star team, and a shared obsession to quality. Our partnership will help us provide a reliable supply of fresh, consistent, and exciting beers to our loyal customers in New Hampshire and Connecticut.” said Rob North.

Great North Aleworks quality assurance lead John Cataldo speaks with IBG quality assurance/cellar supervisor Jodi Andrews at Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket, RI.

About Great North Aleworks

Great North Aleworks is a 20-barrel production brewery located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Founded in August 2015 by award winning homebrewers Rob and Lisa North, Great North specializes in brewing flavorful, food friendly beers, with a fanatical devotion to quality.

Great North’s beers are available in cans and kegs throughout New Hampshire thanks to a distribution partnership with Amoskeag Beverages and in Connecticut with Sarene Craft Beer Distributors. Year round offerings include: Great North IPA (India Pale Ale), RVP (Robust Vanilla Porter), and Tie Dyed (Dry-Hopped Pale Ale). Seasonal beers include: Northbound (American Pilsner), Cranberry Wit, Chocolate Milk Stout, and Tragically Hopped (Double IPA). Other special releases and collaborations are available throughout the year.

Great North Aleworks has a tasting room located at their brewery where guests can take a tour, have a growler filled, sample beers, and enjoy a pint.

Isle Brewers Guild is a craft beer cooperative that provides a “production partnership” for craft brewers facing manufacturing, packaging and distribution restraints. IBG gives partner brewers the facility and equipment to maintain control of their brewing and packaging processes.

IBG’s brewing, packaging and distribution operations take place on a 131,000-square-foot brewing campus located at 461 Main Street in Pawtucket, R.I., which includes a 100-barrel brewhouse, a tasting room, indoor and outdoor event space, classroom space and corporate offices.

Tragically Hopped Release – July means it’s time for the next release of our Double IPA, Tragically Hopped. It will be available on draft in the tasting room on Saturday, July 1st (samples, 10 oz pours, and growlers to go). Cans (16 oz, 4-packs) will be available in the tasting room starting on Thursday, July 6th. It will also be available in stores, restaurants, and bars in NH and CT in the coming weeks.

Tasting Room Updates

Extended Friday Hours – For the months of July and August we will be opening our tasting room at 1 p.m.

Patio – Starting July 1st, you’ll be able to enjoy a beer on our new outdoor patio. Stop by and check it out!

New Hampshire Brewers Festival – Join us on Saturday, July 22nd in Concord, NH for the 4th Annual New Hampshire Brewers Festival. This “For the Brewers, By the Brewers” festival is a one of a kind event, featuring the largest single collection of New Hampshire’s breweries any where. Visit the festival website for more info, to see the list of 45 breweries attending, and to purchase tickets.

Tasting Room Events

We have a lot of upcoming events in the tasting room. Here are the highlights…

July 6th – Brewed & Acoustic Open Mic Night – Join us in the tasting room from 6-8 p.m. for an evening of original music led by local singer/songwriter Alli Beaudry. Alli will perform some of her own music in addition to the many other aspiring musicians that will take to the mic! We will also have featured artist, Jordan Levesque! Jordan will perform a number of her original songs. Performer sign-ups start at 5:45 p.m.

July 13th – Dolph Hoyt Presents Great North Trivia – Dolph Hoyt Presents will be hosting pub trivia in the tasting room on Thursday, July 13th, 6-8 p.m. Recommended team size is 3-6 people. The winning team will win bragging rights and a Great North Aleworks gift card!

July 27th – The Great Cribbage Tourney – The Great Cribbage Tourney returns on July 27th from 6-9 p.m. Please sign up before 5:30 p.m. the day of the tournament so we can prepare the brackets. You can sign up in the tasting room (ask for the sign up sheet at the bar), or send us a note on our Contact Us page. There will be a prize for the Champion and the winner of the Second Chance bracket. All skill levels are welcome!

August 26th – Save the Date! – It’s hard to believe we are approaching our 2nd Birthday, so we will once again be throwing a Great North Birthday Bash in the tasting room. More details to come!

We’re excited to announce that we recently signed a distribution agreement with Sarene Craft Beer Distributors making our beers available in the Nutmeg State! Cans and kegs of Great North IPA, Tie Dyed, Robust Vanilla Porter, and Chocolate Milk Stout will begin showing up in stores, bars and restaurants throughout the state beginning February 28, 2017.

To celebrate our launch, Rob and Brian will be in Connecticut later this week for some special events:

Manchester, NH • November 15, 2016—Great North Aleworks claimed a bronze medal at the 20th Annual Great International Beer & Cider Competition, held on November 4, 2016, in Providence, Rhode Island. This is the second medal Great North Aleworks IPA has been awarded this year, having won a silver award in the American-Style India Pale Ale category at the World Beer Cup held this past May in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“Our IPA has quickly become our flagship beer, so it is very rewarding to see it do so well in international competitions like the Great International Beer & Cider Competition and the World Beer Cup. There are so many great IPA’s brewed thought the world, and we are thrilled that our’s has received such recognition”, said Rob North, founder and brewer at Great North Aleworks.

This year the Great International Beer & Cider Competition had 814 entries from breweries and cideries across the U.S. and from around the world. Beers and ciders were judged in a blind tasting format by 130 professional brewers, beer industry professionals and beer journalists. First, second and third place awards were presented in 58 categories of ales, lagers and ciders. The judges knew only the style and subcategory of each beer and cider.

Great North Aleworks is a 20-barrel production brewery located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Founded in August 2015 by award winning homebrewers Rob and Lisa North, Great North specializes in brewing flavorful, food friendly beers, with a fanatical devotion to quality.

Great North’s beers are available in cans and kegs throughout New Hampshire thanks to a distribution partnership with Amoskeag Beverages. Year round offerings include: IPA (India Pale Ale), RVP (Robust Vanilla Porter), and Tie Dyed (Dry-Hopped Pale Ale). Other seasonal, special releases, and collaborations are available throughout the year.

Great North Aleworks has a tasting room located at their brewery where guests can take a tour, have a growler filled, sample beers, and enjoy a pint.

We’re throwing a launch party for our next special release that we call “Alt Rock Beer”. It’s a collaboration between Great North Aleworks and the Rock On Foundation to help promote their summer Rock On Fest*. Stop by the Great North Aleworks tasting room on Thursday, July 21st and be among the first to taste this new draft only beer. We’ll have it available by the sampler, pint, and growler.

Alt Rock Beer is a copper colored, German style ale brewed with classic Hallertauer hops and Pilsner malt. It’s fermented at cooler temperatures resulting in a clean, smooth beer that is well balanced. Alt Rock Beer is sessionable, yet satisfying, and comes in at 4.8% abv.

Not only are we releasing a new beer, but it’s also our next “Raise a Glass & Cash” fundraiser night . We’ll be donating $1 for every pint, flight, growler fill, and 6-pack sold to who else but the Rock On Foundation. If that’s not enough, we’ll also have our first ever live music in the tasting room with a performance from Badfellows.

The tasting room will open at 3 p.m. as usual, but the party will officially begin at 6 p.m. We’ll be staying open an hour later till 8 p.m. Tell your friends and get down to the brewery, because this is going to be a great time!

Can’t make it to the launch party but want to try the beer? No problem! It will be available in our tasting room by the sampler, pint, or grower for a couple of weeks. You’ll also find it on tap at bars and restaurants around the greater Concord area and beyond. We’ll keep a list of places here.

*Rock On Fest is a free event held at White Park in Concord on Saturday, August 13th that includes music, yoga in the park, high school hoops, family fun, local vendors and fireworks. The music line-up includes Born Ruffians, Saintseneca, Jason Anderson, Dirty Bangs, The Snaz and Skinny Bones. Come one, come all!

Manchester, NH • May 12, 2016—Great North Aleworks claimed a silver award in the 2016 World Beer Cup, a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world and recognizes the most outstanding brewers and their beers.

Gold, silver and bronze awards in the competition’s 96 beer-style categories were presented May 6, 2016 during the World Beer Cup award ceremony at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Great North Aleworks was awarded a silver award in the American-Style India Pale Ale category for its IPA, a balanced yet complex beer that is bright and juicy. There were 275 entries in the American-Style India Pale Ale category, the largest category in the entire competition. Great North Aleworks is a 20-barrel production brewery located in Manchester, NH, USA that specializes in flavorful, food friendly beers, with a fanatical devotion to quality.

“To have won a medal in the most competitive category in the most competitive competition in the world is truly incredible. As an 8-month old brewery, this award is a testament to our hard working team who put quality first and strive to make the best beer possible,” said Rob North, owner and brewer at Great North Aleworks.

World Beer Cup winners were selected by an international panel of 253 beer judges from 31 countries. Regarded as the “Olympics of Beer Competition,” the World Beer Cup saw an impressive field of 6,596 entries from 1,907 breweries in 55 countries.

Presented by the Brewers Association, the World Beer Cup has been held every other year since 1996, to celebrate the art and science of brewing by recognizing outstanding achievement. For more additional information, visit the World Beer Cup website.

About Great North Aleworks

Great North Aleworks is a 20-barrel production brewery located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Founded in August 2015 by award winning homebrewers Rob and Lisa North, Great North specializes in brewing flavorful, food friendly beers, with a fanatical devotion to quality.

Great North’s beers are available in cans and kegs throughout New Hampshire thanks to a distribution partnership with Amoskeag Beverages. Year round offerings include: IPA (India Pale Ale), RVP (Robust Vanilla Porter), and Smokin’ (Smoked Ale/Rauchbier). Seasonal beers include: Tie Dyed (Summer Ale), Cranberry Wit and Chocolate Milk Stout. Other special releases and collaborations are available throughout the year.

Great North Aleworks has a tasting room located at their brewery where guests can take a tour, have a growler filled, sample beers, and enjoy a pint.

February is already upon us, and with that brings a few updates from Great North Aleworks. If you’d like to hear about a new release this week, tasting room hours for Superbowl Sunday, cask updates, Ice Fest, and a delicious five course beer dinner, then read on…

Special Releases

We have a couple special releases planned in the next couple of weeks at our tasting room…

Friday, February 5th – Moher Hops

We’ll be unveiling the first Great North beer designed and brewed by our Assistant Brewer, Ryan Moher. “Moher Hops” (get it?) is a big American IPA clocking in at 7.65% ABV. Using a blend of both old-school (Cascade) and new-school (Citra and Simcoe) hops, Ryan created a delicious, aromatic, and sneaky smooth IPA. This batch was brewed on the SBS (a.k.a “small brew system”) so we have a limited amount that will be available in the tasting room in 4 oz samples and pints only. Come in for a taste and let us know what you think!

Friday, February 12th – Cask Tapping

Thanks to everyone who came out for our first cask tapping on Jan 22nd. We were humbled to see the cask of Chocolate Milk Stout with cold brewed coffee from Wayfarer Coffee Roasters disappear in less than 2 hours! We had such a fun time that we decided to fill the cask again. This time we started with RP-no-V (that’s what we call RVP without the vanilla) and aged it on rye whiskey oak. We’ll be tapping this cask on Friday, Feb 11th at 3:00 pm, and once it’s gone, it’s gone!

Superbowl Sunday

For your game day needs, the tasting room will be open from 1:00 – 5:00 on Sunday, February 7th. Come on by and relax a little before the game & get a growler fill or 6 pack to go!

Beveridege Ice Fest

Great North Aleworks is thrilled to be participating in the 2nd Annual Beveridge Ice Fest on February 13th from Noon to 3:00 in support of End 68 Hours of Hunger. Ryan and Joseph will be out on the ice pouring our brews along with 36 other breweries. Swing by our table and grab one of our beanies for the special price of $10 and keep your head warm. Buy your tickets for the fest here.

Click to enlarge menu.

Five-course Beer Dinner

Join us at the Thirsty Moose in Dover on March 2nd for A Smoky Winter’s Night Beer Dinner. The chef has put together a menu that is sure to make your mouth water.

We hope that everyone enjoyed a happy and safe holiday season. Just a couple of quick updates…

Chocolate Milk Stout

Many of you stopped by our tasting room in November and December to vote in the Chocolate Stout-Off to help us choose the winning recipe for our official release. Well, the winning recipe has been brewed and it tastes great! Chocolate Milk Stout is now available in our tasting room by the sample glass, pint, growler, and keg. You’ll also start to find it on tap at restaurants and bars throughout New Hampshire.

In addition, we prepared a very limited quantity of Nitro Chocolate Milk Stout kegs. The nitro makes for a super smooth and creamy body, plus who doesn’t like to watch a cascading pint of beer! At the tasting room we have the Nitro version available by the sample glass or pint, as well as the carbonated version best suited for growler fills.

Raise a Glass & Cash!

Join us in the tasting room on Thursdays from 3-7 p.m. to help raise funds for local non-profits, charities, and fundraising efforts. For every pint, flight, growler, and 6-pack sold, we will donate $1 to a selected cause.

If you are involved with a non-profit, charity, or fundraising effort that is looking to raise funds, contact us at info@greatnorthaleworks.com.

Please note that while we will review all requests, we may not be able to accommodate all.

Special Release cask tapping this Friday!

We’ll be tapping our first cask this Friday, January 22nd, at 3:00 p.m at the tasting room. We’ve pumped up our Chocolate Milk Stout with some amazing cold brewed coffee roasted by our friends at Wayfarer Coffee Roasters in Laconia – think Mocha Java Milk Stout! We’ll be serving this special release in sample glasses and pints only (sorry, no growlers), and when it’s gone, it’s gone!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family from the Great North Aleworks team. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for at the brewery this year. It was just a year ago that we secured the lease on our space – and a lot of exciting things have happened since then. Thanks to all of you who have enjoyed our beers and have helped to spread the good word. We have a lot going on this week…

Thanksgiving Week Tasting Room Hours:

We have extended hours this week on Wednesday & Friday, and will be closed on Thursday:

Wed, Nov 25th – Noon – 7:00 pm

Thurs, Nov 26th – Closed

Fri, Nov 27th – Noon – 7:00 pm

Sat, Nov 28th – Noon – 5:00 pm

If you are planning on stopping by for a growler fill on Wednesday (and don’t have time to hang out), send us an email at info@greatnorthaleworks.com with your name, growler size (32 or 64 oz), and the specific liquid (IPA, RVP, Smokin’, Cranberry Wit, Amber Lager), we will do our best to have it ready for you when you come by.

Chocolate Stout-off:

Folks are eagerly awaiting the release of our winter seasonal Chocolate Stout. We have brewed four small pilot batches, and need to decide on the final recipe. This is where you come in! We would like give folks a chance to taste the pilot batches and let us know which is your favorite. We’ll be staggering the “stout-off” over the next three weeks, so stop by the tasting room for a complimentary sample. The schedule for taste-off will be:

Week 1 – Nov 27th & 28th – Batch 1 & Batch 2

Week 2 – Dec 4th & 5th – Batch 3 & Batch 4

Week 3 – Dec 11th 12th – Pick between the winners of Week 1 & Week 2

The winning recipe from Week 3 will be brewed and released around the first of the year. As with all of our seasonals this year, Chocolate Stout will be a draft only release. Growlers will be available at our tasting room.

Black Friday Sale:

Stop by the tasting room on Friday, November 27th to take advantage of our Black Friday Sale.

The 14th annual (SNOB) Film Festival (SNOB = Somewhat North Of Boston) will run from November 12th through 15th at the Red River Theaters in Concord, NH. SNOB is all about independent film, music, and craft beer!

Great North Aleworks is thrilled to be participating this year by brewing the the official beer of the festival – we call it SNOBier!

SNOBier is an amber lager (yes, Great North Aleworks has brewed it’s first lager!) that was designed by John Cataldo, our Quality Control & Assurance Manager – it’s his take on a German-style Festbier. The beer is amber in color and is lightly hopped, resulting in a bready and honey-like flavor that comes from a blend of malts used in the brew.

You’ll be able to find SNOBier throughout on tap throughout NH, as well as in our tasting room.

As of 11/11/15 you’ll be able to find SNObier at the following locations: